Task. 46: The Awakened Darkness
The Awakened Darkness is the forty-sixth episode of GoGo Sentai Boukenger. It is the conclusion of a three-part story concluding the Boukenger's battle with the Dark Shadow Negative Syndicate, concentrating on the final showdown between Masumi Inou/BoukenBlack and Yaiba of Darkness. Synopsis Yaiba tempts Masumi to unleash his latent darkness so the ninja can utilize the Three-Headed Dragon of Darkness for his true purpose. Plot Where we last left our team, Masumi had the Three-Headed Dragon of Darkness. Yaiba attacks Ryuuwon and the Boukengers and then ends up defeating the two. Everyone is surprised Yaiba has arrived. Yaiba explains the Precious has chosen him to give him powers. Masumi is surprised it is for him. Ryuuwon attacks him and Masumi stops his sword with his hand.He then bashes him int he face with the Precious. Masumi goes down to the floor. Yaiba explains he always had that power and to open his heart to the Darkness. Masumi won't believe it. Yaiba then asks him to explain what just occurred. Yaiba stands up and asks if he is satisfied as a Boukenger. Yaiba asks him how long he will pretend to be their friend. Masumi grips his changer and clears up that he isn't pretending, but stammers. Yaiba tells him if he wants to keep living half-heartedly, to go ahead. He says he will be waiting with high expectations for his 'shining' darkness. Yaiba showers him with blue and white confetti and disappears with the Precious. His voice tells Masumi to think it through. The Boukenger, un-transformed, gather around Masumi, who doesn't say a thing. Back at SGS, Mr. Voice, Morio, and the gang access the situation. Voice asks Black why he didn't secure the Precious. Sakura approaches Masumi and asks about him and Yaiba. Masumi jumps over the railing and runs out. Satoru grabs Natsuki's arm to stop her from following him. Masumi walks through the streets alone, wondering why he's hesitating. At a video arcade, he punches a punching bag and remembers how he bunched Ryuuwon. He says it isn't the same. Satoru watches from far away. Masumi believes the power would definitely destroy the bag. Masumi exits. Satoru is undetected. Meanwhile in a forest, Yaiba mediates with the Precious and wonders why it does not howl. His darkness is not enough, Masumi is needed. Suddenly, Shizuka rushes up behind him to attack. Yaiba tells Shizuka to back off, she tells him all that awaits traitors is death. He then tells her he will not hold back. Shizuka is clearly hurt, she respected him. He stands and explains living as a ninja was just part of his plan, he wanted his darkness to increase. He turns around and shows her his true face and states he has given up on Dark Shadow. She gulps, looks down and then bids him 'goodbye.' She then leaps at him at his request. They ninja streak against each other up to the air and then Shizuka falls on her face to the ground. He conducts his paper crane finisher on her and she retreats. He quickly bids her and Dark Shadow goodbye as he walks away. In his dorm, Masumi reads his diary again about how he wanted to surpass Satoru. He puts the book down on his nose and thinks about what he wrote about tapping his 'dormant' power. The lights flicker in his room and a small piece of paper flies to his desk and becomes a Dark Shadow communication parchment. Yaiba speaks to him, to come alone to the Dark Coast cliff for power. Masumi scoffs. Yaiba says to go with the feeling that appeals to him the most. The parchment disappears and Masumi thinks about it. Before dawn, Masumi walks through the fog and wind to the cliff. Satoru rises from the wheat field, saying something did effect him. Yaiba is awaiting on the cliff as the sun rises. Masumi arrives and says he came to defeat him, so he could collect the Precious. Yaiba then questions him as to why he came without the others. Yaiba informs him that when he touches the Precious, he will become captive to the power of its darkness. Masumi shakes his head and says it won't happen. He runs to it and when he gets to it, Satoru yells 'no' but it is too late... the black smoke consumes Masumi. BoukenRed, already transform, runs toward Masumi. He runs, all dazed, and says he can read Red's movements. Red asks him he doesn't care about the consequences of him obtaining such a power. Masumi holds his arm and says that is his concern. He then tosses Red away straight into another cliff, breaking rock down to the floor. Masumi is in awe of the power. Yaiba says his true power is drawn out by the Precious. Masumi says he can surpass Satoru. Yaiba says not yet. He creates a black dome and tells Masumi to go in for more power. Satoru is untransformed and on the ground. He shouts for Masumi to stop, but to no avail as Masumi holds the Precious out and enters the dome. Inside, Yaiba has his back facing him and welcomes him. Yaiba turns around and has shows his true face. He then hones his power to access the Precious' power for Masumi. Satoru is still groaning on the floor as the others arrive. He slowly wakes up and explains what occurred, that he is trapped. He tells them to go inside after him. They rush pass Satoru but the dome is solid. Yaiba notices them banging on the outside. He scoffs and makes purple electricity zap the four off the dome. They all fall down. Morio then informs them that a strange energy is heading for the Earth, that materialized in the Moon's orbit. Yaiba has gathered all the dark energy wandering in outer space and is summoning it towards the Earth. Gekkou tells this to Shizuka. It is supposed to fill the Earth with darkness and the world will belong to those who possess the power of darkness. Masumi is surprised one of the Boukenger resonates with the Precious. The ball is supposed to hit in an hour. The Boukenger transform and hit the dome, but it reflects back on them. They un-transform. The dome then fries them with electricity. Yaiba makes Masumi release the ball is heading towards them, and it is the body of the power. Masumi says he didn't want that and then realizes his friends are harmed. Yaiba tells him it is a result of his desire for darkness. Mausmi is stricken in disbelief and is about to let the Precious go, but Yaiba struggles with him. Masumi then focuses on Natsuki. He thinks back to all his moments with her. Then Eiji, Souta, Sakura, and of course, Satoru. Masumi studies himself There is light in him after all. The light given to him by his friends. He turns to Yaiba, grabs his right hand with his left and yells. He breaks Yaiba off and drops the Precious down. He says he won't stay by as his light is taken away. He then punches Yaiba in the face. He is flung away. The dome breaks apart. He rushes toward his friends and they slowly awaken. He apologizes to them. Satoru asks if he regained his light. They all smile and nod. Masumi helps Satoru up. Yaiba faces them. Masumi fights him and transforms. The others transform and form Ultimate DaiBouken. All the Neo-Parallel Engines are reinforced the blaster to destroy the ball. Electricity goes through them all but they hang through. Black bests Yaiba and then he retaliates by multiplying himself. Black is down and Yaiba impales him in the stomach. Black holds on to the sword and as the other withhold the force... Black starts glowing in white light. as the other withhold the force... Black starts glowing in white light and pulls the sword out. He flips Yaiba off. He says he will use the power of light to defeat him. The others successfully deflect the evil back into space. Black dons the Acelltector and busts Yaiba's stomach with the Dual Crusher. He blows him away and then rushes at him again with the drill. Yaiba flies away further and Black shoots him again. Yaiba hits a mount and surrounded in fire. Yaiba falls down. Black rushes toward him with his hammer and conducts 'Hammer Dynamite.' The ball of darkness is destroyed. Yaiba, full of smoke, still believes there is darkness in Masumi. Masumi says it is the undeniable truth. Yaiba says he can't run away from darkness because it can't be destroyed. And Yaiba dies. Masumi thinks back to how his friends were hurt and decides to quit. The others are left with his jacket, Acellular and the Three-Headed Dragon of Darkness. There are no words for them. They are saddened. Natsuki won't have it. She grabs the jacket and runs off, shouting for Masumi. Sakura already has the Three-Headed Dragon of Darkness within a Precious Box. The others join in shouting. The sun sets. At night, Masumi disappears through a crowd in the city. Fade to black. Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : The 30 Sentai Encyclopedia: Special Files *'Power-Up Henshin': The team looks back on the Power-Up Transformation '(強化変身, ''Kyōka Henshin) of Super Sentai. This began with Beast Armor Shine (獣装光, Jūsōkō) of Seijuu Sentai Gingaman, and continued with Abare Mode of Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger, SWAT Mode of Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Legend Mode of Mahou Sentai Magiranger. At the end, they have all transformed into the Boukengers, but they are all wearing the good luck clothing that Satoru (Satoru wears the original jacket and hat while the rest wear different hats and jackets) wore when he was under the bad feng shui of Wicked Dragon Talong. Satoru calls it '''Lucky Mode (開運モード, Kaiun Mōdo), while Masumi quickly gets out of the clothing thinking it looks foolish, Sakura and Souta look at the hats, Nastuki dances about saying, "Happy happi," and Eiji notes it looks good on him. **This is Sakura's eighth and last time starting the segment. **Song: "Juusouken! Seigi Yo Kagayake" (見せつけろ星獣魂！, performed by Yukio Yamagata **This is the second time the "Lucky Mode" has appeared and the first since Task 27. Notes *As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 49, , the final episode of the series. From next week onwards, Boukenger would air alongside . *'Viewership': 6.1% *In "Power Rangers Operation Overdrive," the robot battle from this episode was mixed with footage from Episode 44. The next episode used footage from Episode 45. All interactions between Yaiba and Ryuuwon were not used. DVD releases GoGo Sentai Boukenger Volume 12 features episodes 45-49: Task 45: The Evilest Wicked Dragon, Task 46: The Awakened Darkness, Task 47: The Box of Despair, Task 48: The Fearsome High Priest, and Last Task: The Endless Adventure Spirits. http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/sp21/bouken.html See Also References Category:GoGo Sentai Boukenger Category:Sentai episodes Category:Written by Naruhisa Arakawa